Zarco on Marquez crash: "I'm not stupid, he can't put fault on me, ridiculous"

Update: A notification from Race Direction sent to all riders on Saturday morning made clear it is the responsibility of riders leaving pit lane to 'make a safe pit exit' adding that the blue flag 'waved for the rider in pit lane to indicate there are riders approaching' turn 1 on track 'must be respected'.

Zarco was exiting pit lane when Marquez lost the front of his Repsol Honda as he tipped into turn one.

The Spaniard’s bike then slid straight on and torpedoed into the Frenchman’s Pramac Ducati.

The session was red-flagged with Zarco on the ground, but Marquez’s bike had miraculously missed his feet and legs, allowing both riders to eventually walk away.

However, Zarco was far from impressed that Marquez did not check on his condition as he lay on the track, then found out Marquez blamed him for the incident.

“I'm angry because if somebody can avoid the situation it was Johann,” Marquez said.

“I mean, the guy that is coming out of the pit lane is the guy that needs to watch behind and if somebody is coming, especially in the last minute [of a session], you need to stop in the pit exit.

“We were super lucky that we escape, both of us, from that crash. But yeah, I already heard that some people [said] ‘Marc is dangerous’. I mean, if somebody can avoid that situation it was Johann, not me.”

Zarco: “Marc is losing control when he speaks”

“I think we can say it was a racing incident,” Zarco responded. “It can happen, even if it was better that it did not. We can say the exit of the pitlane is maybe a bit tricky, but, OK, we are used to it and we try to be careful. Like I was.

“I was waiting on the outside of the pitlane, then I was braking, then I turned to see a big group coming. So OK, I lifted up the bike. Then I saw the bike of Marc and fortunately, I lifted up my bike a little bit more and he hit only my bike and not my legs or foot.

“First thing, when I was on the floor, is that he could at least come [to see if I was OK]. I can understand that he wants to run to his other bike to make another lap time but because of the red flag, he could just see if all was OK.

“I like Marc, the way he is riding and pushing. He is this champion, but he is losing a bit of control now when he speaks because he should think twice before speaking.

“Just to have the idea that this is my fault is not acceptable. I’m a nice guy, so he cannot put the fault on me just because I am a nice guy.

“I got hit on the back three years ago and everybody was telling me that it was my fault.

“Today, OK, it would have been better to not have this [incident], but at least say sorry and it is all OK. I could see him briefly 15 minutes after the practice. He just came to say quickly, 'I was scared'.

“OK, but don’t say it is the fault of someone because, no... He’s just losing a bit of control when he is speaking now and that is a little bit sad.”

Zarco - who unlike Marquez went on to keep a top ten place for direct Qualifying 2 access - is confident he will be able to ride without too much issue tomorrow, although his Desmosedici will need to be rebuilt overnight.

“Physically I am OK. I got a big hit on the top of my bottom so that is why I could not move immediately and I was feeling strange but nothing is broken,” he said.

“I will check now with the physiotherapist to feel good for tomorrow. It should be all fine. We just have a destroyed bike and the mechanics will work very late.

“I will have another chassis tomorrow because this one has been destroyed. That’s all. It is part of [racing]… But we just need to control a bit the words because I am not a stupid guy and he cannot put the fault on me.

"That is just ridiculous.”